March Linkage
Posted on March 27, 2010
Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
Remember Parallax Software? is a fun trip down memory lane if you do.
Matchmoving a Stereo Project Using 3DEqualizer and Maya is an interesting look into the complexities added by stereo to integration of CG with live action.
Gizmodo has a rant about The Movie Studios’ Big 3D Scam by “a top CG supervisor”.
3D World reports on The Foundry’s stereo even in London a couple of weeks ago and has details about enhancements we’re working on for the next Nuke release.
And last but not least, we’re hiring again. So if you’re an experienced software developer in the London area with background in the visual effects industry and you’re looking for a fun, friendly, growing company doing interesting work, drop me a line. We’ve got plenty to keep you busy for a while.
Ocula and Avatar
Posted on March 4, 2010
Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
fxguide just posted The Tech Behind the Tools of Avatar Part 1: Ocula.
This article explains some of the Ocula technology in the context of problems it solved for our customers working on Avatar and how Ocula has evolved from version 1 to 2 as a result of production feedback. It’s a very informative read, all the more so if you haven’t done stereo and are wondering what kind of post fixing to expect.
Dr. Grordbort’s Exceptional Exhibition coming to HK
Posted on February 26, 2010
Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
I saw today that Weta’s “Dr. Grordbort’s Exceptional Exhibition” is going to have a run at Cyberport in HK.
Ever been curious about the weapons, armoury and chain maille used in movies? Or wondered what these specialist props used in megahit movies might look like up close?
Cyberport is offering you that very opportunity with the launch of Dr. Grordbort’s Exceptional Exhibition, to run from mid March through May, which will showcase the fictional universe of Dr. Grordbort, a unique art exhibition featuring Rayguns, sculptures and fine art paintings created by Greg Broadmore, a conceptual designer from Weta.
Rayguns!? Awesome! More info here: Dr. Grordbort’s Exceptional Exhibition. Maybe they’ll even have that jetpack Peter W’s been after for so long…
Nuke tips and tutorials at SphereVFX
Posted on November 24, 2009
Filed Under Foundry | Leave a Comment
Matt Leonard has a whole bunch of Maya & Nuke tips and tutorials up at SphereVFX. Try not to hate him for having an “entry page”, there is lots of good stuff in there and he really knows what he’s doing. 
If you go in the front door, click on the “Training Articles” button to get to the free Nuke goodies.
Nuke on a TVC at Fin Design
Posted on November 12, 2009
Filed Under Foundry | Leave a Comment
Back to my parade of Nuke news! Our Australia reseller Intraware has put up a short story about Fin Design in Sydney using Nuke on a Jalna TVC. There are some screen grabs showing the 3D layers they used. Watch the video link at the end of the article to see how it all comes together. Very cool.
I want a pony!
Posted on November 2, 2009
Filed Under Comp, Foundry, VFX | Leave a Comment
Finally announced, something that has been painful to keep my mouth shut about. FXGuide covers the nuts and bolts thoroughly:
This is a deal that is near and dear to my heart. I spent nearly two years working on the Katana team at SPI before joining The Foundry to move Nuke into it’s product portfolio. It was a real honor to be part of that project and I didn’t especially want to leave. But it’s probably obvious now why this Nuke thing seemed worth it, right? =). The guys working on Katana at SPI are fantastic developers and the application as a whole has so many great features and a really excellent internal, under-the-hood design. Like Nuke, Katana has been forged in the fires of real “this shot has to go out tomorrow” production pressures and artist requirements. These two applications contain an enormous amount of domain-specific knowledge. They are the embodiment of hundreds of artists’ and developers’ knowledge of the most effective ways to produce digital images distilled into UI and processing algorithms. It’s very exciting to be looking at how they can cross-pollinate to advance the state of the art in visual effects tools rather both of us spinning our wheels, reinventing the same.
The gory truth about stereoscopic post
Posted on November 2, 2009
Filed Under Comp, Foundry, VFX | Leave a Comment
Just in time for Halloween, Studio Daily posted a short article about CafeFX’s work on Final Destination 3 that hits one of the often underestimated issues encountered in vfx post on a stereo show:
“3D can add a lot more time to normal workflows,” Williamson admits. “Some of the things that are normally very, very simple, that you don’t have to worry about, like a simple paint out, suddenly become more complex in 3D. For Final, we had to paint out a wire that was in front of a sofa in the background, with a pattern all over it. The human eye is very good at picking up discrepancies like that. And the minute you have any kind of shift and are only one pixel off, it lifts it or pushes it back in stereo space. If you patched it on one eye, you’d never know, and someone can make that fix in an afternoon. But in stereo, it takes three days.”
I’ve heard this over and over from our customers experienced in doing stereo work. It’s not just double the work — you need to think exponential. Which is scary, and possibly gory for your studio even if the project isn’t a horror film.
However, that’s today. The flip side is that having two (or more) views of the scene gives you a lot more information. The tools don’t yet exist commercially to take full advantage of this but if you saw any of the “how to” material about ILM’s Imocap system using multiple cameras on the Davy Jones work for Pirates of the Caribbean, then you have an idea. The applications of these basic ideas to vfx compositing are fantastic. Our research team is working on some very cool technology in this direction and things that were hazy “maybe somedays” just a couple of years ago are starting to look quite viable. (Scroll down to the bottom of The Foundry’s blog page for a little tease.)
But back to the article, I’m happy to add that CafeFX had nice things to say about how Nuke and Ocula made the whole process much more manageable and cost-effective. The article is short and well worth a read, especially if you are contemplating doing stereo work for the first time.
CafeFx’s 3D Gore Fest for The Final Destination
CVMP 2009
Posted on October 23, 2009
Filed Under Software Development, VFX | Leave a Comment
The Foundry has been involved in putting together this year’s CVMP program in London on the 12th and 13th November. If you are in to siggraph type graphics research and presentations check it out. From the website: “The aim of the conference is to demonstrate innovative techniques currently being used in media production and to discuss their future influence on common practice.”
There’s a fantastic lineup of speakers and some very interesting papers — it ought to be a worthwhile couple of days.
More Nuke customer stories
Posted on October 22, 2009
Filed Under Comp, Foundry | Leave a Comment
Maybe I’m biased (just a tiny bit?) but we recently had a couple of great case studies come out about customers using Nuke. I get pages of email every week about the things Nuke still needs to do, or do better (and I love it, and we need it, so don’t stop fer cryin’ out loud!) but it’s great to read these and see how all the work everybody’s been putting in is paying off.
If you’re wondering if Nuke suits the work you’re doing, you can see the gamut of jobs it’s being applied to from this clever Audi TVC at Passion Pictures (pdf) to Image Engine’s awesome work on District 9 (pdf). There’s a whole page of ‘em if you need more convincing.
Behavioural Modification 101 – Make it fun
Posted on October 14, 2009
Filed Under Thinking | Leave a Comment
We are wired for fun — exploration and experimentation. If there has ever been any doubt in your mind, this ought to make it clear:
Now how do we apply it to education so that we approach learning with the same enthusiasm? Maybe that will be the next big world-changing “revolution”. Agricultural, industrial, computational and communications, … education? Successfully putting into practice educational practices/systems/techniques that take advantage of our natural inclinations instead of working against them would surely be world-changing.
keep looking »